Viral diseases inflict man, plants, insects, and animals. The prevention and control of viral diseases have important health and economic implications.
Viral diseases contribute to inflictions in humans including common colds, herpes and cancer and the importance of their control is obvious. Also important is control of viral diseases in animals for economic reasons as well as the ability of such animals to become virus reservoirs or carriers which facilitate the spreading of viral diseases to humans. Viral plant diseases have been known to have a disruptive effect on the cultivation of fruit trees, tobacco, and various vegetables. Insect viral diseases are also of interest because of the insects' ability to transfer viral diseases to humans.
The prevention and control of viral diseases is thus of prime importance to man and considerable research has been devoted to antiviral measures. Certain methods and chemical compositions have been developed which aid in inhibiting, controlling or destroying viruses but additional methods and antiviral chemical compositions are needed.
A potential source for antiviral compositions is marine plant and animal life and of particular interest herein is coral.
Previous work has indicated that marine organisms can be a source for guanadine compositions See L. Chevolet in Marine Natural Products: Chemical and Biological Perspectives (Ed. P. J. Scheuer), Vol. IV, pp. 54-91, 1981, Academic Press, New York. The entire disclosures of the above-noted literature reference is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
While certain compositions of marine origin have been found, additional useful antiviral compositions are needed.